Structural and biochemical characterization of the relaxosome auxiliary proteins encoded on the Bacillus subtilis plasmid pLS20

Bernardo, Nerea; Cuppari, Anna; Malfois, Marc; Boer, D.R.

doi:10.1016/j.csbj.2021.12.041

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…In fact, pLS20 serves as the archetype plasmid to a family of at least 35 members, dispersed across various Bacillus species residing in diverse ecological niches 18 . It carries a gene cluster encoding the T4SS machinery, SSB, relaxase, as well as additional essential conjugation functions [19][20][21][22] . The primary conjugation promoter PC is repressed by Rco, maintaining the default "OFF" state of conjugation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A conjugative plasmid exploits flagella rotation as a cue to facilitate its transfer

Bhattacharya,

Bejerano-Sagie,

Ravins

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Conjugation-mediated DNA delivery is the primary mode for antibiotic resistance spread; yet, molecular mechanisms regulating the process remain largely unexplored. While conjugative plasmids typically rely on solid surfaces to facilitate donor-to-recipient proximity, the pLS20 conjugative plasmid, prevalent among Gram-positiveBacillusspp., uniquely requires fluid environments to motivate its transfer. Here we unveiled that pLS20, carried byB. subtilis, induces adhesin-promoted multicellular clustering, which can accommodate various species, offering a stable platform for DNA delivery in liquid milieu. We further discovered that induction of pLS20 promoters, governing crucial conjugative genes, hinges on the presence of donor cell flagella, the major bacterial motility organelle. Moreover, pLS20 regulatory circuit is strategically integrated into a mechanosensing signal transduction pathway responsive to flagella rotation, harnessing propelled flagella to activate conjugation genes exclusively during the host motile phase. This flagella-conjugation coupling strategy, provides the plasmid with the benefit of disseminating into remote destinations, infiltrating new niches.

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